Dubai has launched a new biometric immigration system designed to cut passenger processing to as little as 12 seconds, marking a major push to automate border controls and ease congestion at one of the world’s busiest airports.
The “Click and Travel” service uses facial recognition, electronic passport reading and automated checks, with more than 31,000 passengers processed during its pilot phase.
The system was tested from May to August and processed 31,373 passengers before its official launch on Sept 7.
Under the new system, passengers can have their identity verified through facial recognition and their electronic passports read automatically, reducing the need for conventional immigration procedures at a counter.
The service is being introduced at different terminals of Dubai International Airport and is available to UAE citizens, residents, Gulf nationals and visitors, according to Dubai’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA).
Lieutenant General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, director general of GDRFA Dubai, announced the launch during a press briefing at Dubai International Airport.
The new system combines facial recognition, biometric technology and automated checks to verify a traveller’s identity before completing the immigration process.
